Ironing-machine.



A. KREUTER.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.10,1906.

926,751 Patented July 6, 1909. 5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

5% V5 iigiw A. KREUTER.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.10,1906

Patented July 6, 1909. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. v EW A. KRBUTBR.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 10, 1906.

ggg 75 1 Patented July 6, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

CZZ

A. KRBUTER.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.10,1906.

926,751 Patented July 6, 1909.

5 EHEETS-SHEET 4.

A. KREUTER.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.10,1906. 926,751. Patented July 6, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

'ture to be hereinafter UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADAM KREUTER, 0F (.l-IIUAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LAUNDRYMACHINERY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF (-HICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFNEIIV JERSEY.

IRONING-MACHINE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADAM KREUTER, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Chicago, county of ook, and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful I111.- provements in Ironing-lVIaohines, of whichthe following is a specification, and which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to ironing machines of that type adapted forironing the bosom of a garment, and particularly to such machines inwhich )rovision is made for shaping the nook-band of the garment andadjacent portion of the-bosom.

The object of the invention is to provide a laundry-machine forfinishing shirt bosoms which shall be of simple and improvedconstruction, easily operated, and so formed that the progress of thework may be always in view of the attendant and subject to his control.

The invention is exem lified in the strucescribed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 isa central vertical section, one position of some of the parts beingindicated by dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a front elevation, some of the artsappearing in a vertical cross-section; igs. 4, 5 and 6 are sectionalviews taken on the lines 44, 55.and 66, respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2;a different position of the parts being shown in Fig. 6 than'in Figs. 1and 2; Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the ironing table; Fig. 8 is adetail sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is asectional detail viewed from the line 99 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 10 is adetail of Fig. 2 drawn to a larger scale.

For the particular form of machine illustrated in the drawings, there isprovided a supporting frame comprising upright mem bers 15, 16, andhorizontal connecting members 17, 18, 19 and 20. A journal bearing, as21, 22, is mounted on each of the uprights 15, 16, of the frame of themachine for receiving the trunnions 23, 24, of an ironing roller 25.This roller is preferably ada ted to be heated, and as shown is made holow for receiving a heating fluid which enters through one of thetrunnions, as 24, from a steam pipe 26 connected to the end of thetrunnion by a packing gland 27.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 10, 1906.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Serial No. 847,120.

A table 28 is provided for supporting the articles to be ironed, and ismounted for oscillation beneath the ironing roller 25. As shown thisironing table is of curved form and is carried by a pair of supportingrollers 29, 30. A gear-rack 31 extends along the under face of theironing table for substantially its entire length, and is en aged by adriving gear 32, preferably coaXia 1y mounted with the supportingrollers 29, 30. The movementof the ironing table is guided by a pivotedarm 33, which as shown, comprises two substantially vertical membersconnected by a cross-member 171 (Fig. 3) and is rotatably'connected tothe inner end of the table by means of a pin 34 passing through the arm33 and engaging ears 28 (Fig. 7) formed integral with the table.

Provision is made for raising and lowering the ironing table for thepurpose of adjusting the pressure employed in ironing and for moving theironing table into and out of operative position. 'To' accommodate thesemovements of the ironing table, the supporting rollers 29, 30, and thedriving gear 32 are shiftably mounted, being, as shown, carried by ashaft 35, which is journaled in a vertically oscillatable frame 36, mostclearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. The frame 36 is pivotally attachedto the body of the machine at 37, 38, and one of its pivots, as 37, ispreferably in the form of a shaft for communicating power to the shaft35, to which the driving gear 32 is fixed by a key 35 (Fig. 6). Theouter end of the frame 36 is carried by a rod 39, rendered adjustable inlength by means of a ball nut 40 having a threaded engagement with theupper end of the rod and entering a socket 42 formed in the frame 36.The ball nut 40 carries a pin 43 extending into a groove of the socketfor preventing rotation of the nut, and rotation of the rod in the ballnut is normally revented by means of alock nut 41. The ower end of therod 39 loosely engages a saddle 44, which, as shown, is carried by ashaft 45 extending transversely of the machine near its base andpreferably, also, forms the pivotal support for the guiding arm 33. Aspring 46, coiled about the end of the rod 39,-reacts between the saddle44 and a flange 47 formed on the rod to provide a yielding support forthe oscillatable frame 36, and a pair of screwbolts 47* loosely engagethe flange 47 and the saddle 44 to limit the movement of the rod 89 inthe saddle. Preferably a hand wheel 48 is formed on the rod 39, and thepressure for ironing obtained by means of the spring 46 is readilyadjusted by turning i the rod in the ball nut after loosening the locknut 41.

For raising and lowering the ironing table into and out of engagementwith the ironing tool, provision is made for vertically shifting theshaft 45, which, as previously de scribed, supports both the saddle 44and the guiding arm 33. To this end the shaft 45 is carried by links 49,(Fig. 4), rotatably mounted on a shaft 51 extending across the front ofthe machine and journaled in the upright frame members 15, 16, and acrank shaft 52 is provided for swinging the links. This shaft ispreferably journaled at the front of the machine in lugs 53, 54, formedon the horizontal frame member 18, and carries a hand lever 55, having aspring pawl mechanism 56 of ordinary con; struction and adapted to playover a toothed quadrant 57, which, as shown, is rigidly secured to theframe of the machine at 58 (Fig. 1). The cranks of the shaft 52 areconnected to the links 49, 50, at the base of the machine by means ofrods 59, 60, and these rods are rendered-adjustable in length for thepurpose of securing a correct alinement of the parts by means of turnbuckles 61.

The ironing table 28 preferably comprises an anvil 62 (Fig. 6) formingthe under portion 'of the table, and an ironing plate 63 having anironing surface covered with padding 67. Apertured lugs 65, 66, whichregister when the parts are assembled, are

- formed on the anvil 62 and on the ironing formed on the anvil 62,

plate 63, respectively, for receiving a connecting pin 64. The padding67 is secured in position by a frame 68 fitting over the margins of theplate and pivotally secured thereto adjacent one of its ends, as shownat 69.

The ironing table 28 is preferably provided with a neckband holder 17 0for engaging the neck-band of the garment to be ironed, and a cavity 71is formed in the ironing roller for receiving the neckband holder, thewall of the cavity 71 having, shown, an overhanging lip 72 (Fig. 9),which cooperates with the rim of the holder to shape the neckband of thegarment and adjacent portion of the bosom. Preferably the neckbandholder 170 is made sectional and is yieldingly expanded within theneckband of the garment to secure it in place for ironing. As shown itcomprises a fixed and a movable section, designated and 73,respectively, the former taking the form of a ange cured to andprojecting in; ironing plate 63, and the i by rods 74 slidably mouiabout each of the rods 74, reacts between one of the lugs 75 of theanvil and a stop 78 carried by the rod about which it is coiled, fornormally separating the two parts of the holder. A cross-head 79connects the rods 74 at their forward ends, and is engaged by a cam stud7 9 carried by the crank arm 80 of a crank shaft 8]. journaled in theanvil 62 to advance the rods 74 and the movable section 73 of theneckband holder. The crank shaft 81 is provided with an operating handle82, conveniently located at one side of the ironing plate. The flange 70is notched, as indicated at 83, Fig. 9, to receive the shank of a button.1: placed in the front of the neckband 3 of a garment Z, and a clip 84,having its outer end bifurcated, as indicated at 85, to straddle theshank of the collar button to secure it in place within the notch, ispivotally attached to the ironing plate 63 within the flange 70 at 86.

A clamp is provided for gripping the skirt of the garment Z to stretchit over the ironing board. As shown, this comprises apair of clampingjaws 87, 88, supported in a transverse position at the outer end of theironing plate 63 by rods 89, 90, each slidably engaging ears 91, 92,projecting laterally from the anvil 62. A spring 93 is coiled about eachof the rods 89, 90, and reacts between one of the ears, as 92 of theanvil, and" a stop 94 carried by the rod about which it is. coiled toadvance the clamping jaws. One of the jaws, as 88, is slidably mountedon the rods 89 and 90, and is, yieldingly advanced upon the other jaw87, which is fixed in position upon the rods, by springs 95, 96, eachcoiled about one of the rods and react- 'ing between the rear face ofthe movable clamping jaw and a stop 97, 98, carried by the rod. A camshaft 99, journaled in the anvil 62 and having an operating handle 100is provided for shifting the movable jaw 88 to open the clamp. As shownthis shaft carries at the end of a crank arm99, a cam roller 101 adaptedto engage the downwardly-turned end 102 (Fig. 1) of a link 103, having asliding engagement with the anvil 62 at 103* and pivotally connected tothe movable jaw of the clamp at 104.

A clamping member 105 is provided for securing the shoulders of thegarment Z against the margins of the ironing plate 63. As shown, thisclamping member is pivotally attached to the anvil 62 at 106 and 107(Fig. 7), and is provided with gripping jaws 108 and 109 for engagingthe margins of the ironing plate at either side of the neckbandengagingflange 70. 105 is operated by a crank shaft 110, jourrele in th anvil 62and provided with The clamping member and yieldingly connected theretoby a spring i 114 reacting against the outer end 116 of the that itsmovement in the arc of a circle may produce only a rectilinear movement)to a pitman. A pan 62, carried by the anvil 62, shipper arm 147 leadingto the belt shipper surrounds the ironing plate 63 to support the skirtand sleeves of the garment.

Power is applied to the machine for driving the ironing roller 25 andoscillating the ironing table 28, preferably through a belt pulley 117which, as shown, is loosely mount ed on a stub shaft 118 carried by oneof the 11 nights, as 15, of the supporting frame. Idle pulleys 129'and121, for carrying driving belts, not shown, which run in oppositedirections, are mounted, one at either side of the driving pulley 117,and one of them, as 120, turns on the huh of that pulley. A belt ship)er 122 ilays over the pulleys to shift the elts and control theoperation of the machine.

Power is transmitted from the driving pulley 117 and a gear pinion 119formed on its hub beyond the pulley 120, to the ironing roller 25 andthe ironing table 28, through a speed-reducing train of gears, includinga gear 123 and pinions 124, 128, respectively, mounted on the shaft 37,Fig. 5. A gear125, rotatably secured to the frame of the machine at 126(Fig. 1) transmits power from the pinion 124 on the shaft 37 to a gear127 mounted on the trunnion 23 of the ironing roller 25, and the pinion128 turns the driving gear 32 of the ironing table mechanism through agear 129 mounted on the end of the shaft 35.

Provision is made for angularly adjusting a gear of the train whichoperatively connects the ironing table mechanism and the ironing roller,in order that the neckband engaging flange of the ironing table and thecavity 71 of the ironing roller may be caused to accurately register toshape the neckband of a garment. As shown, the gear 127 is ad justablymounted on the trunnion 23, a collar 130 being secured in position onthe trunnion by means of a key 131 and having ears 132 and 133 whichembrace a lug 134 projecting from the face of the gear 127 andadjustably control its angular osition through setscrews 135, 136, eachraving a threaded engagement with one of the lugs. A set-screw 137pierces the hub of the gear 127 to fix it in any ad'usted position.

The elt shipper 122 iseontrolled by mechanism including a treadle 138,mounted in a conveniently accessible position at the front of themachineu n the end of a shaft- 139 journaled in the orizontal frame members 17and 20. A crank arm 140, Figs. 3 and 4, rises from the treadle shaft 139at the rear of the machine and is connected by a link 141 to thecrank-arm 142 of an upright rock shaft 143 journaled in lugs 144 and 145projecting from the vertical frame member 15, and a crank-arm 146 (Figs.1 and 8) formed on the rock shaft 143, is loosely connected (in or er122. Most conveniently the shipper arm 147 extends through thestub-shaft 118, which is made tubular for that pur ose.

To start the machine t e treadle is depressed by the attendant and aspring is provided for raising the treadle to shift the belts andreverse the direction of movement of the machine whenever the treadle isreleased by the attendant. Automatic means, acting with suflicient forceto raise the treadle in spite of pressure exerted thereon by theattendant, are also provided for'reversing the direction of movement ofthe machine when the ironing table has reached the limit of its backwardtravel, and the machine is automatically stopped when the ironing tablereaches the limit of its forward travel. To raise the treadle 138whenever it is released by the attendant, a spring 148 (Figs. 3 and 4)reacts between a crank-arm 149, carried by the treadle shaft 139, and alug 150 projecting from the horizontal frame member 20. To shift thebelts when the ironing table reaches the limit of its movement in eachdirection, a shi per rod 151, operated b the swinging of tfietable-guiding arm 33, as a sliding engagement with a crank-arm 154,carried by the upright rock shaft 143, and is provided with stops 152and 153 which ongage the crank arm to turn the rock shaft.

As the position of the ironing table 28 is such, near the end of itsrearward travel, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, that its weightoperates to continue the movement of the machine, the shifting of thedriving belts from one extreme position to the other to reverse thedirection of movement of the machine, is readily effected by soarranging the stop 152 on the shipper rod 151 that it will engage thecrank-arm 154 to impart .a full stroke to the rock shaft 143.

In order that the machine may be brought to rest at the end of theforward stroke of the table without shock to the arts, rovision is madefor shifting the driving be ts to their limit of its orward strolie. The shipper rod 151 is ieldl ly connected by a spring 157 to the tale-guit mg arm 33, and carries a stop 166 which prevents the rodtraveling forward farther than is required to turn the, The stop rockshaft 143 to its mid position.

166'is adapted to engage a fixed part of the machine, as the horizontalframe member 20. A pin 155'carried by the arm 33 moves in a slot 156formed at the end of the shipper rod 151, and is provided at its outerend with a disk 158 for preventing the lateral displacement of the rodon the pin. The spring 157 reacts between the disk 158 and an adjustingscrew 159 carried by a collar 159 mounted on the rod. Y

The forward movement of the ironing table is limited by the engagementof the guiding arm 33 with the table-supporting rollers 29 and 30, andpreferably a brake is provided for retarding the movement of the partswhen the ironing table approaches the end of its forward travel to avoishock when these parts come into contact. As shown this brake takes theform of a band 160, Figs. 1 and 5, surrounding a pulley 160 mounted onthe shaft 35, and has one end rigidly secured to the oscilla table frame36 at 161 and the other attached to the lower end of a lever 162pivotally secured to the frame 36 at 163, and having its longer endrojecting into the path of a stud 1'64 carried by the ironing table. thehorizontal frame member 20, is enga ed by the guiding arm 33 when theironing ta le 28 reaches the limit of its rearward movement.

In using the device the garment to be ironed is secured to the ironingtable 63 preferably by means of the clamps already described, and hasits neckband y surrounding the neckband holder 170 and its bosom spreadupon the face of the ironing board in front of the holder. The machineis then set in motion by depressing the treadle 138, the ironing tabletraveling backward beneath the ironing roller 25 (the neckband holder170 intermeshin with the cavity 71 of the roller) until the Til-nit ofits backward movement is rezi leased by the attendant. The driving beltsare then shifted upon the pulleys 1 17 120 and 121 to cause the ironingtable and the ironing roller to travel in the opposite direction, if atthe limit of backward movement of the ta ble, by reason of theengagement of the sto 152 with the crank-arm 154 of the rock sha t 143,or if because of the release of the treadle by the attendant before thelimit of backward movement of the table is reached, by reason of theturnin of the treadle shaft 139 and rock shaft 143 y the s ring 148. Thedirection of movement of the ironing table may be reversed at any timeduring its forward travel by depressing the treadle 138, but ifpermitted to com v lete its forward stroke, the machine will t en bebrought to rest by the engagement of the stop 153 of the ship er rod 151with the crank-arm 154 of the, elt shipping mechanism. As the drivingbelts'are thrown to the proper position to A buffer 165, carried byched, or until the treadle 138 is redrive the machine in one directionwhen the treadle 138 is depressed and in the opposite direction when thetreadle is raised, this treadle may be operated to cause a continuedoscillation of the ironing tool over any part of the garment, such amovement comprising a full stroke of the machine in each direction beingeffected, as shown, by depressin the treadle at the end of each forwardstro e'of the ironing table and holding it down until the followingrearward stroke has been completed. The work may be smoothed upon theboard by the hands of the attendant, as it advances to the ironing tool,and if for any reason the ironing does not progress satisfactorily, theironing tool and ironing table may be instantly disengaged by shiftingthe lever 55 to lower the table and the parts permitted to return to theposition of starting.

The overhanging lip 72 at the walls of the cavity 71 formed in theironing roller 25 may be accurately shaped to fit the neckbandengagingflange of the ironing table, and the parts may be adjusted to cause thiscavity and the flange to properly register by adjusting the angularposition of the ear 127 on the trunnion 23 of the ironing rol er, thisbeing easily effected, as shown, by turning the set-screws 135, 136, ofthe collar 130. Preferably the gears connecting the ironing roller 25and the ironing table 28 with the drying pulley 117 are so proportionedthat the surface speed of the ironing roller and the ironing table aresubstantiall the same, For this reason there isno sli ing of the ironingtool over the garment, and a so-called domestic finish is produced. Ifdesired, 'however, these gears may be so related in size that theironing roller will be driven at a greater or less speed than that atwhich the table moves, and a sliding of the ironing tool over'tliearment will be thereby effected and a polis 16d surface produced.

I claim as my invention 1. In an ironinglmachine, in combination, anironing board aving a neckband-engaging flange, and an ironing rollercooperating with the board and having a cavity for receiving the flange.

2. In an ironing machine, in combination, a driving shaft, anoscillatable ironing board havin a neckband-engagingfian e,.an ironingro er cooperating with the card and having a cavity for receiving theflange, and gear connection between the driving shaft and the roller andbetween the driving shaft and the board.

3. In an ironing machine, in combination, a curved faced ironing boardhaving a neckband engaging flan e, and an ironing roller cooperatlngwith t e 4 board and having a cavity for receiving the flange.

4. In an ironing machine, in combination, a driving shaft, anoscillatable ironing board having a'neckband-engaging flange, an ironingroller cooperating with the board and having a cavity for receiving theflange, and gear connection between the driving shaft and the roller andbetween the driving shaft and the board, one of the gears beingangularly adjustable. i

5. In an ironing machine, in combination, l an ironing board having ancckbaiid-cngag ing flange, an ironing roller coi'iperating with theboard and having a cavity for receiving the flange, and an angularlyadjustable gear for driving the roller.

6. In an ironing machine, in combination, an ironing tool, a frameyieldingly supported beneath the tool, a roller and a gear journaled inthe frame, means for driving the gear, a curved faced ironing tablecarried by the roller and cooperating with the ironing tool, a gear-rackformed on the under face of the table for engaging the gear and an armfor guiding the movement of the table.

7. In an ironing machine, in combination, an ironing tool, a pivotallymounted frame, a spring for yieldingly advancing the free end of theframe toward the ironing tool, a pressure roller and a gear coaxiallymounted in the free end of the frame, a driving shaft coaxial with thepivot of the frame and carrying a pinion operatively engaging the gear,an ironing table carried by the pressure roller and cooperating with theironing tool, and a rack formed on the under face of the ironing table.and engaging a gear mounted on the shaft of the roller.

8. In an ironing machine, in combination, an ironing tool, a shiftablesupport, a ressure roller carried thereby, a curved faced oscillatableironing table carried by the roller and cooperating with the ironingtool, and an arm for guiding the movement of the table pivotallyattached to the shiftable support.

S). In an ironing machine, in combination, an ironing tool, a pressureroller, a shiftable support, a spring reacting between the support andthe pressure roller, a curved faced oscillatable ironing table carriedby the pres sure roller and cooperating with the ironing tool, and aguiding arm pivotally attached to the shiftable support and to thetable.

10. In an ironing machine, in combination, an ironing tool, a framepivotally attached to a fixed support to swing toward and away from theironing tool, a ressuro roller ournaled in the frame, a shi'ftt lesupport for the free end of the frame, a curved faced oscillatableironing table carried by the roller and cooperating with the ironingtool, and an arm for guiding the movement of the table pivotallyattached to the shiftable sup port.

11. In an ironing machine, in combination, an ironing tool, a framepivotally attached to a fixed support to swing toward and away from theironing tool, a pressure roller journaled in the frame, a shiftablesupport, a spring reacting between the free end of the frame and theshift able su wit, a curved faced oscillatable ironing table carried bythe pressure roller and cooperating with the ironing tool, and a guidingarm pivotally attached to the shiftable support and to the ironingtable.

12. In an ironing machine, in combination, an ironing tool, a shiftablesupport, a

ressure roller carried thereby, a curved laced oscillatable ironingtable carried by the roller and cooperating with the ironing tool, anarm for guiding the movement of the table pivotally attached to theshiftable sup. port, a crank shaft for shifting the support, a handlever carried by the shaft, and ratchet and pawl mechanisn'i forsecuring the hand lever in an adjusted position.

13. In an ironing machine, in combination, an ironing tool, a pressureroller, a shiftable support, a spring reacting between the support andthe pressure roller, means for adjusting the tension of the spring, acurved faced oscillatable ironing table carried by the pressure rollerand cooperating with the ironing tool, a guiding arm pivotally attachedto the shiftable support and to the table, a crank shaft for shiftingthe support, a hand lever carried by the shaft, and ratchet and pawlmechanism for securing the hand lever in an adjusted osition.

14. In an ironing mac tine, an ironing roller provided with a recess andan ironing table having a collar band to register with said recess, incombination with means for maintaining the registration and forsimultaneously rotating said roller and reciprocating said table, as andfor the purpose described.

ADAM KREUTER. Witnesses:

CHARLES B. GILLsoN, E. M. KLATCHER.

